High speed circuit breaker with flip-flop mechanism



Jan. 31-, 1967 o. JENSEN 3,302,144

' HIGH SPEED CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH FLIP-FLOP MECHANISM Filed March 22,1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 M ,7 %/m2:% MW

0. JENSEN HIGH SPEED CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH FLIP-FLOP MECHANISM 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1965 '4 Q 5 a a h a a he 2 60 M 3\ X A Am. E X a \i\ 7.2 m m E Z\ I 5 nw W. b Y x w J 2 m H V M 07 /7 7 6 w 3 fI. P 6 3 if F, a a y z w 4 INVENTOR. 07 70 J'A SZ/V United States Patent3,302,144 HIGH SPEED CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH FLIP-FLQP MECHANISM OttoJensen, Malvern, Pa., assignor to I-T-E Circuit Breaker Company,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 22, 1965,Ser. No. 441,647 7 Claims. (Cl. 335-183) This invention relates to anovel extremely high speed circuit breaker having a double-actingoperating mechanism whereupon a succession of operating signalsautomatically move the contacts of the circuit breaker sequentiallybetween its open and closed positions with the contacts beingself-latching in the open position.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a novel circuit breakeroperating mechanism which is moved from open to closed and from closedto open positions by a succession of identical operating signals.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel ultra highspeedcircuit breaker which has a minimum physical size and high physicalstrength.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel high speedcircuit breaker having mechanical simplicity.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel circuitbreaker operating mechanism which provides ultra high speed opening andclosing operation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel circuitbreaker having a simple electrical input circuit for both opening andclosing the breaker.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel circuitbreaker construction which has high insulation strength.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel circuit breakerstructure which permits ease of adjustment of the contact structure andthe operating mechanism.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of the circuit breaker of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 1 taken across the line 22in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 2 taken across the line 3-3in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 2 taken across the line 4-4in FIGURE 2.

- FIGURE 5 schematically illustrates the electrical connection betweenthe drive coils and the armature which form a portion of the operatingmechanism.

Referring now to the figures, I have schematically illustrated therein acircuit breaker having a flip-flop operating mechanism and whichincludes main stationary contacts and 11 which are suitably supported inany desired manner. Each of main stationary contacts 10 and 11 havearcuate arcing contact segments 12 and 13 secured thereto in any desiredmanner, as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 4. The arcuate arcing contacts 12and 13 cooperate with similarly arcuately disposed moving arcing contactsegments 14 and 15 which are carried by the diskshaped moving arcingcontact support 15, best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Thus, the disk-shapedconductor 16 serves as a bridge for the moving arcing contacts 14 and 15secured thereto and which cooperate with stationary arcing contacts 12and 13.

The main moving bridging contact 17, best shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, thenmoves into and out of a bridging contact relation with stationary maincontacts 13 and 11 where FIGURE 2 illustrates bridging main contact 17in the closed position. As will be understood more fully 3,302,144Patented Jan. 31, 1967 hereinafter, the moving contact 17 is movableupwardly in order to disengage the connection between stationary maincontacts 10 and 11.

The main contact 17 is provided with an internal shoulder portion whichreceives the outwardly flared head of bolt 18 which is threaded into theinternal thread 19 of main rod 20. The main rod 20 then has a secondthreaded portion 21 at its upper end which receives the lower threadedend of bolt 22. The upper threaded end of bolt 22 then threadablyreceives an operating rod extension 23 whereby the bolt 22 threadablyconnects the main operating rod 29 and the rod extension 23 together.

The rod 23 has a tapered flange 24 which bears against the cooperatinginternal taper of conductive armature ring 25 and forces the armaturering 25 into engagement with the top of operating rod 21, as shown.Thus, a solid structure is formed including the bridging contact 18,main rod 20, rod extension 23, and the conductive armature 24.

A pair of windings 26 and 27 are then disposed on opposite sides ofring-shaped armature 25 with the coil 26 surrounding operating rod 20and coil 27 surrounding the extension 23. The coils 26 and 27 and thecentral movable structure are then supported by a structure whichincludes a coil casing 30 of insulation material and which could, forexample, be formed of a wound epoxy filament suitably bonded to shape.

The coil casing 30 then has two end interior threaded sections 31 and 32which threadably receive the upper cap 33 and lower cap 34,respectively. The upper cap 33 bears against a pressure plate 34 which,in turn, applies pressure to the insulation rings 35 and 36,respectively, wherein the coil 27 is captured between the disks 35 and36. Note that the disk 35 contains therein a conductive slug 37 whichthreadably receives a coil terminal bolt 38, while disk 36 receives asimilar conductive slug 39 which threadably receives the threaded coilterminal 40.

The terminals of coil 37 are then suitably connected to the conductiveslugs 37 and 39 with external connection to the coil being made by theterminal bolts 38 and 40. It will be noted, however, that the terminalsconnected to bolts 38 and 40 may be the terminals formed of the seriesconnection or parallel connection of coils 26 and 27, as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter.

The outer disk 35 then seats against a spacer ring 41 which surroundsarmature 25 and permits sufficient clearance between the internaldiameter of ring 41 and the external diameter of armature 25 to permitrelative motion in the axial direction of armature 25 The end of spacer41 then seats against insulation disk 42 which is identical to disk 35and cooperates with a second disk 43 which is identical to disk 36 tosupport the coil 26. The disks 42 and 43 are then rigidly held inposition by the end cap 34.

It will be noted that the upper cap 33 has a large opening entering thebottom surface thereof adjacent the pressure plate 34a. The upperportion of this opening receives an upper disk 50 whereby a pair ofballs 51 and 52 are captured between plates 50 and 34a, and are biasedtoward the axis of armature 25 by the biasing springs 53 and 54.

The operating rod extension 23 is then provided with a necked-downregion 55 which is movable upwardly and adjacent the balls 51 and 52which define a ball latch. Thus, when the bridging contact 17, operatingrod 20, armature 25, and operating rod extension 23 move upwardly, theball latch, which includes balls 51 and 52, will seat into necked-downregion 55 to hold the movable assemblage in this upper position by theforce of biasing springs 53 and 54.

The bridging contact 17 is normally biased toward engagement with maincontacts 10 and 11 by the biasing spring 60 which seats between thebottom of the cupshaped member 34 and the top of the bridging contact17.

In a similar manner, a second contact spring 61 which is concentric withspring 60 is captured in the larger diameter portion of member 34, and ireceived by the dishshaped moving arcing contact 16. Thus, the springbiases for the arcing contacts and main contact are separated from oneanother, whereupon the main moving contact 17 Will be disengaged fromthe main stationary contacts 10 and 11 prior to the disengagement of thecooperating arcing contacts.

The operation of the system is as follows:

When the armature 25 is in the position shown, it is very closelycoupled to winding 26. Accordingly, when a suitable high impulse voltageis applied to coil 26, a current will be induced in armature 25 in sucha direction that the magnetic fields of armature 25 and of coils 26 verystrongly repel one another, whereupon a very strong force is applied toarmature 25 tending to move it upwardly and away from coil 26. Thisupward motion will causethe entire movable assemblage to move, whereuponthe stationary cooperating contacts disengage by the upward movement ofcontact 17 without any arcing, since the arcing contacts 1244 and 13-15are still engaged. Once the upper surface of bridging contacts 17reaches the lower surface of dish-shaped member 16, however, the movablecontact 17 carries the movable arcing contact or dish-shaped member 16upwardly therewith, whereupon an arc is drawn between contacts 1214 and1315 which are made of some suitable arc-resistant material. Once thenecked-down portion 55 of rod 23 reaches the balls 51 and 52, they willbe snapped into the necked-down region 55, thereby holding the completeassemblage in its disengaged position.

In this position, the armature 25 will be immediately adjacent coil 27.Therefore, if a second pulse is applied to coil 27, current will againbe induced in armature 25 causing high repulsion forces between armature25 and coil 27, thereby moving armature 25 downwardly and toward theengaged position. Note that the sequence of engagement is that thearcing contact 12-14 and 13-15 are the first to engage, thereby carryingany closing arcs hich may be generated with the main movable contact 17subsequently engaging the main contacts 10 and 11.

FIGURE schematically illustrates the manner in which the coils 26 and 27may be connected. Thus, in FIGURE 5, the coils 26 and 27 having theschematically illustrated armature or short circuited ring 25 disposedtherebetween are connected in series with one another and with anoperating switch 70. A capacitor 71 which can be charged by a suitableD.-C. source 72 are then connected in such a manner that the capacitor71 is charged by the source 72 and is discharged through the seriesconnected coils 26 and 27 with the closure of switch 70.

It is to be noted that the coils 26 and 27 may be connected either inseries or parallel, whereby only a single pair of coil terminals need betaken through the coil casing 30. It is permissible to use a commoncircuit connection in this manner, since even though an operatingimpulse will be applied to both coils 26 and 27, the repulsion force isstrongly dependent upon the coupling of the armature 25 and the coilwhich is to repel it. That is to say, when moving from the engagedposition of FIG- URE 2 to the disengaged position, and if the same pulseis applied to coils 26 and 27, the coupling between coils 27 and 25 isso loose that there will be negligible repulsion forces between theseelements, while substantial repulsion forces will exist between the veryclosely coupled coil 26 and armature 25.

It will be noted that the use of insulation material is preferable forthe formation of the coil casing and the coil supports, since thisavoids the possible formation of eddy currents in a metallic shell whichwould reduce the effective flux linkages acting on the armature.Moreover, adjustment of the entire mechanism will be seen to be easilyaccomplished by the threaded connections existing between the variouscomponents. Furthermore, ease of mechanical inspection and replacementof components is extremely simple, as will be apparent from the simplemechanism.

Clearly, the entire assemblage of FIGURE 2 will be suitably mechanicallysupported with respect to the stationary main contacts. By way ofexample, the outer housing as can have a threaded portion which isthreadably received by a mounting flange or surface 81 which issupported with respect to contacts 10 and 11.

Although this invention has been described with respect to its preferredembodiments, it should be understood that many variations andmodifications will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, and it ispreferred therefore that the scope of the invention be limited not bythe specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege orproperty is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An operating mechanism for a circuit interrupter; said circuitinterrupter including a stationary contact, a movable contact movableinto and out of engagement with said stationary contact, and a movablesupport shaft having said movable contact secured thereto and movabletherewith; said operating mechanism including a non-magnetic ring-shapedconductive armature defining a short-circuited winding connected to saidshaft and first and second spaced windings; said first and second spacedwindings and said ring-shaped armature positioned on a common axis andlying in spaced parallel planes; said ringshaped armature disposedbetween said first and second spaced windings; said movable supportshaft moving between first and'second positions respectively adjacentsaid first and second spaced windings; said first and second positionsof said shaft corresponding to engagement and disengagement respectivelyof said movable and stationary contacts; said first and second windingshaving respective terminal connections; and voltage source meansconnected to said terminals whereby when said armature is adjacent oneof said first or second windings, energization of said one of said firstor second windings by said voltage source means causes high speedmovement of said armature toward the other of said first or secondwindings; said voltage source means including a single pulse volt agesource; said terminal connectors of said first and second windingsconnected to one another and to said single voltage source in a commoncircuit connection whereby said single pulse voltage source energizesboth of said first and second windings simultaneously.

2. The device substantially as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said shaftmoves along the direction of the axis thereof; said ring-shaped armatureand said first and second windings surrounding said shaft.

3. The device substantially as set forth in claim 1 which furtherincludes biasing means connected to said movable contact for biasingsaid movable contact toward engagement with said stationary contact.

4. The device substantially as set forth in claim 2 which furtherincludes housing means for rigidly supporting said first and secondwindings and movably receiving said shaft; said movable contactcomprising a disk connected to the end of said shaft and extendingbeyond the bottom of said housing; and spring biasing means extendingfrom said bottom of said housing to the top of said movable contact forbiasing said movable contact downwardly and toward engagement with saidstationary contact; said stationary contact comprising a first andsecond spaced conductors receiving the bottom of said movable contact inbridging relation.

5. A contact structure for a circuit interrupter; said contact structureincluding a movable contact movable into and out of engagement with astationary contact; a movable shaft having said movable contactconnected to one end thereof; a housing for slidably receiving saidmovable shaft; said movable contact comprising a disk connected to theend of said shaft and extending beyond the bottom of said housing; andspring biasing means extending from said bottom of said housing to thetop of said movable contact for biasing said movable contact downwardlyand toward engagement with said stationary contact; said stationarycontact comprising a first and second spaced conductors receiving thebottom of said movable contact in bridging relation; and a movablearcing contact; said movable arcing contact comprising a ring-shapedmember surrounding said shaft adjacent said movable contact and imposedabove said movable contact; second biasing means connected to saidbottom of said housing and to said movable arcing contact biasing saidmovable arcing contact downwardly; a pair of stationary arcing contactsconnected to said first and second spaced conductors receiving thebottom of said arcing contact in bridging relation; the top of saidmovable contact moving into engagement with the bottom of said movablearcing contact when said movable contact moves out of engagement withsaid stationary contact thereby to subsequently move said movable arcingcontact out of engagement with said stationary arcing contacts.

6. An operating mechanism for a circuit interrupter; said circuitinterrupter including a stationary contact, a movable contact movableinto and out of engagement with said stationary contact, and a movablesupport shaft having said movable contact secured thereto and movabletherewith; said operating mechanism including a ring-shaped conductivearmature defining a short-circuited winding connected to said shaft andfirst and second spaced windings; said first and second spaced windingsand said ringshaped armature positioned on a common axis and lying inspaced parallel planes; said ring-shaped armature disposed between saidfirst and second spaced windings; said movable support shaft movingbetween first and second positions respectively adjacent said first andsecond spaced windings; said first and second positions of said shaftcorresponding to engagement and disengagement respectively of saidmovable and stationary contacts; said first and second windings havingrespective terminal connections; and voltage source means connected tosaid terminals whereby when said armature is adjacent one of said firstor second windings, energization of said one of said first or secondwindings by said voltage source means causes high speed movement of saidarmature toward the other of said first or second windings; said shaftmovable along the direction of the axis thereof; said ring-shapedarmature and said first and second windings surrounding said shaft; andbiased latch means including a stationary mounted member biased towardthe axis of said shaft and a reduced diameter portion in said shaft;said reduced diameter portion of said shaft receiving said biased latchmeans when said shaft moves to its said second position and adjacentsaid second winding thereby to latch said movable contact in its saiddeenergized position.

7. An operating mechanism for a circuit interrupter; said circuitinterrupter including a stationary contact, a movable contact movableinto and out of engagement with said stationary contact, and a movablesupport shaft having said movable contact secured thereto and movabletherewith; said operating mechanism including a ringshaped conductivearmature defining a short-circuited winding connected to said shaft andfirst and second spaced windings; said first and second spaced windingsand said ring-shaped armature positioned on a common axis and lying inspaced parallel planes; said ring-shaped armature disposed between saidfirst and second spaced windings; said movable support shaft movingbetween first and second positions respectively adjacent said first andsecond spaced windings; said first and second positions of said shaftcorresponding to engagement and disengagement respectively of saidmovable and stationary contacts; said first and second windings havingrespective terminal connections; and voltage source means connected tosaid terminals whereby when said armature is adjacent one of said firstor second windings, energization of said one of said first or secondwindings by said voltage source means causes high speed movement of saidarmature toward the other of said first or second windings; said shaftmovable along the direction of the axis thereof; said ring-shapedarmature and said first and second windings surrounding said shaft; andhousing means for rigidly supporting said first and second windings andmovably receiving said shaft; said movable contact comprising a diskconnected to the end of said shaft and extending beyond the bottom ofsaid housing; said spring biasing means extending from said bottom ofsaid housing to the top of said movable contact for biasing said movablecontact downwardly and toward engagement with said stationary contact;said stationary contact comprising a first and second spaced conductorsreceiving the bottom of said movable contact in bridging relation; and amovable arcing contact; said movable arcing contact comprising aring-shaped member surrounding said shaft adjacent said movable contactand imposed above said movable contact; said biasing means connected tosaid bottom of said housing and to said movable arcing contact biasingsaid movable arcing contact downwardly; a pair of stationary arcingcontacts connected to said first and second spaced conductors receivingthe bottom of said arcing contact in bridging relation; the top of saidmovable contact moving into engagement with the bottom of said movablearcing contact when said movable contact moves out of engagement withsaid stationary contact thereby to subsequently move said movable arcingcontact out of engagement with said stationary arcing contacts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,250,402 12/1917Wendelburg 200-146 2,347,874 5/1944 Bluemle 200-163 2,544,719 3/1951OBrien 200-98 3,023,290 2/1962 Jennings 200-87 3,035,139 5/1962 Lindsay200-111 3,071,714 1/1963 Hadekel 217-188 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, PrimaryExaminer.

B. DOBECK, J. BAKER, Assistant Examiners.

1. AN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER; SAID CIRCUITINTERRUPTER INCLUDING A STATIONARY CONTACT, A MOVABLE CONTACT MOVABLEINTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STATIONARY CONTACT, AND A MOVABLESUPPORT SHAFT HAVING SAID MOVABLE CONTACT SECURED THERETO AND MOVABLETHEREWITH; SAID OPERATING MECHANISM INCLUDING A NON-MAGNETIC RING-SHAPEDCONDUCTIVE ARMATURE DEFINING A SHORT-CIRCUITED WINDING CONNECTED TO SAIDSHAFT AND FIRST AND SECOND SPACED WINDINGS; SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACEDWINDINGS AND SAID RING-SHAPED ARMATURE POSITIONED ON A COMMON AXIS ANDLYING IN SPACED PARALLEL PLANES; SAID RINGSHAPED ARMATURE DISPOSEDBETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACED WINDINGS; SAID MOVABLE SUPPORTSHAFT MOVING BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY ADJACENTSAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACED WINDINGS; SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONSOF SAID SHAFT CORRESPONDING TO ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT RESPECTIVELYOF SAID MOVABLE AND STATIONARY CONTACTS; SAID FIRST AND SECOND WINDINGSHAVING RESPECTIVE TERMINAL CONNECTIONS; AND VOLTAGE SOURCE MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID TERMINALS WHEREBY WHEN SAID ARMATURE IS ADJACENT ONEOF SAID FIRST OR SECOND WINDINGS, ENERGIZATION OF SAID ONE OF SAID FIRSTOR SECOND WINDINGS BY SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE MEANS CAUSES HIGH SPEEDMOVEMENT OF SAID ARMATURE TOWARD THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST OR SECONDWINDINGS; SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE MEANS INCLUDING A SINGLE PULSE VOLTAGESOURCE; SAID TERMINAL CONNECTORS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND WINDINGSCONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO SAID SINGLE VOLTAGE SOURCE IN A COMMONCIRCUIT CONNECTION WHEREBY SAID SINGLE PULSE VOLTAGE SOURCE ENERGIZESBOTH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND WINDINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY.